MEPs write to Croatian Presidency about EU accession blockage for North Macedonia and Albania

TO: Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia; Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia; Josep Borrell Fontelles, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood
Policy and Enlargement Negotiations

Concerns: Impact
on LGBTI rights of EU’s blockage of accession talks with North Macedonia and
Albania

Brussels, 19 December 2019

Honourable Ministers,

Honourable Commissioners,

16 years ago in Thessaloniki, the EU clearly stated that “the future of
the Balkans is in the European Union”. The accession process and the prospects
it offered for the Western Balkans were to serve as the anchor for reforms
through a shared agenda, and commitment to its implementation from all sides,
all the way to their future accession, in the same way as in Central and
Eastern Europe.

These reforms have brought significant and unprecedented changes when it
comes to human rights, including the rights of LGBTI people, across the region.
North Macedonia now explicitly includes sexual orientation and gender identity
in its anti-discrimination and hate crime legislation. This year Albania hosted
the ERA LGBTI Conference which gathered over 200 human rights defenders in
Tirana this November, followed by the very first lesbian* march. Since starting
the accession process Albania has adopted a number of laws protecting LGBTI
people from discrimination in employment and education, and hate crime-laws
inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity.

These inspiring developments are still young and threatened by the
decision of the European Council to not open accession talks with North
Macedonia and Albania, as the process has been fundamental in improving the
legal rights and social acceptance of LGBTI people. With no clear support from
the EU and by stopping the EU integration process, the LGBTI community and
LGBTI organisations and groups in the Western Balkans are once again at risk of
increased marginalisation and of being left behind.

We, Members of the European Parliament who stand firm in our commitment
to the accession of the region and the protection of LGBTI rights
internationally, call on the European Council and EU Member States to recognise
the wide-spread consequences of this situation, to do everything in their power
to ensure that the start of accession talks is unblocked and to reiterate the
European perspective of all Western Balkan countries. If the EU truly believes
in protecting the human rights of all people, including those who are LGBTI, across
Europe and the world, it must include the unblocking of accession talks as its
top priority for the region.

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The Intergroup on LGBTI Rights is an informal forum for Members of the European Parliament who wish to advance and protect the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. Members of the Intergroup would usually take a positive stance on LGBTI issues when they draft reports or amendments, when they vote in the Parliament, or when they deal with constituency affairs.